DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Austin Dillon will start on the pole for the first Budweiser Duel qualifying race Thursday, but he will have his hands full.

Dillon, whose starting spot is secure for the Daytona 500, can either cruise and protect his pole-winning car, or he can race all-out to win the qualifying race, which predecessor Dale Earnhardt did a record 12 times in the famous No. 3.

If Dillon wants to race, he will have to contend with a star-studded field that includes a host of contenders, including seven drivers who competed in the exhibition Sprint Unlimited on Saturday night. His chief competition likely will be Tony Stewart and former Daytona 500 winners Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick. Also in the first race are Joey Logano and Kyle Busch, who were both contenders in the Unlimited. Stewart, Kenseth, Earnhardt and Busch have each won Daytona qualifying races before.

One plus for Dillon is that he should have drafting help from teammate Ryan Newman, who will start third in the qualifying race.

Martin Truex Jr., who will join Dillon on the front row for the Daytona 500 and will start on the pole in the second qualifier Thursday, would seem to have a bit easier road, though the competition will still be tough.

Truex's biggest challenge will be outrunning Denny Hamlin, who won the Unlimited Saturday and looks to have one of the fastest cars at Daytona. Jamie McMurray, who led the Unlimited and won the 2010 Daytona 500, also is in the race, along with former Daytona 500 winners Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Brad Keselowski, who also ran well in the Unlimited, also is in the second race.

The top 15 finishes in each race will qualify for the Daytona 500 — top 16 if Dillon or Truex are in the top 15. Those positions will make up the top 32 starting spots for the Daytona 500, with the rest of the field being set by qualifying speed or owner points.

More importantly, the top drivers will be looking for drafting partners and seeing how their cars drive in the tight draft at Daytona. Though there probably won't be many daring moves among the top drivers, some will experiment with the handling of their cars to help prepare for Sunday.

Here's a look at the starting lineups for the two Budweiser Duel qualifying races: